PanSALB raises alarm over shortage of court interpreters in South Africa
On International Translation Day, the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) raised urgent concerns about a severe shortage of court interpreters in South Africa.
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As the world marked International Translation Day on Tuesday, the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) sounded the alarm on a critical shortage of court interpreters in South Africa, a gap that threatens fair access to justice for many citizens.
The concern was amplified after Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamaloko Kubayi revealed during a recent parliamentary portfolio committee meeting that six provinces are grappling with severe interpreter shortages.
At a national commemoration of International Translation Day, held in partnership with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and the City of Cape Town, PanSALB Chairperson Prof Lolie Makhubu-Badenhorst called the situation “a serious indictment” on the nation.
“The shortage of interpreting services in our courts further perpetuates the hegemony of English and robs South African citizens of access to justice in their preferred language,” Makhubu-Badenhorst said. “This is particularly concerning since there are many qualified interpreters who remain unemployed, while the filling of vacant interpreter posts continues to lag.”
She warned that the imbalance creates deep inequalities within the justice system. With English as the language of record in courts and spoken as a first language by only around 8% of the population, non-English speakers face an uphill battle in understanding proceedings.
“Accused persons who are mother-tongue English speakers are at a distinct advantage compared to those who are not proficient in English,” she explained. “This unfair practice means that many South Africans face justice with procedures they can barely follow, which can lead to miscarriages of justice.”
PanSALB emphasised that proper interpreting services are not a luxury but a constitutional necessity to safeguard linguistic human rights. The organisation further stressed the importance of allowing citizens to submit statements in their own languages to ensure the most accurate account of events is captured.
As South Africa reflects on International Translation Day, PanSALB’s call highlights the urgent need for government intervention to address interpreter shortages, not only to uphold justice but also to affirm the multilingual character of the nation.